Beer Guide 2014: Feckin'

When you call a bar asking if they have a Feckin’ beer,
you get a variety of responses—not all of them good. But for the time
being, that’s what you’ll have to do, because the planned taproom next
to the Highland Stillhouse (which stocks Feckin’) is still a work in
progress. Of course, you could always drink Feckin’ at Maher’s Irish Pub
in Lake Oswego, the bar owned by Feckin’ brewmaster Dave Maher. Of
course Maher made an Irish Red, which is a bit maltier than one might
expect from the style. The brewery’s Stoned IPA, on the other hand,
tastes like a fresh spruce clipping dipped in a bit of caramel—which is a
good thing. And while not all of the recipes seem fully dialed in yet,
the simple elegance of the Fresh Hop Goldings lets you know the taproom
will probably be a good Feckin’ bar when it opens. MATTHEW KORFHAGE.

DRINK THIS: Get the Fresh Hop if possible. Otherwise, go for the IPA, but do so knowing it’s a forceful hop bomb.